The University of Zambia Lecturers and Researchers Union (UNZALARU) says the institution has capacity to run the newly constructed Robert Kapasa Makasa University in Chinsali district of Muchinga Province.
Last week, government directed the University of Zambia to open Robert Kapasa Makasa University as soon as possible and run it.
UNZALARU president Euston Chiputa explained that UNZA will not run the new Robert Kapasa Makasa University as an affiliated university but as an extension.
ZANIS reports that Dr. Chiputa further explained that UNZA will do that by re-aligning and scaling up some of its academic programmes from the Schools of Education and Medicine.
He stated that currently, UNZA has got no required resources to run the new university as an affiliated university but will use the available resources to undertake its new responsibilities.
Dr. Chiputa was quick to allay fears by some quarters of society who doubted the capabilities of UNZA to undertake additional responsibilities of running another university due to its perennial problems.
He revealed that his union was of the view that government came up with a deliberate programme to allow the University of Zambia, the Copperbelt University and Mulungushi University train human resource to manage the new universities.
“Had our view then been given due attention, by now we would have human resource to run new universities that late President Michael Sata had in mind, “he said.
The UNZALARU president added that government will operationalize the new university almost immediately.
He pointed out that UNZA will run the Robert Kapasa Makasa University as part of UNZA by using available schools.
He said the Department of Education and Medicine may need to shift some of their programmes to the newly constructed university.
Dr. Chiputa said this will help Zambia to accelerate the training of health cadres and teachers that the two public universities, UNZA and Copperbelt University have been struggling to produce in numbers.
UNZa has no resources currently but is able to run the other university…contradictory statements. UNZA cannot run its own affairs, guess its extension of corruption that’s rampant at UNZA. That makasa university is just a white elephant.
Iwe ka nonsense, grow up. This is not politics but a mother profession that molds any nation. So if you don’t value education, then we pity you. Abash with useless politics. 🙂
It can’t be a white Elephant.
Iwe ka non.s.e.n.s.e, grow up. This is not politics but a mother profession that molds any nation. So if you don’t value education, then we pity you. Abash with useless politics. 🙂
My brief comment is that I hope they didn’t mean that they are able to “run down” the new University, as the Great East Road and CBU Campuses.
Which is it?
Is UNZA going to run the new university with the same budget or is govt going to provide a supplement? It would have been better to create competition for UNZA rather than making Robert Makasa a mere extension.
Is this a new university or another campus of UNZA (Robert Makasa Campus)? If it is a new university then it has to have its own VC and staff not to be managed and run by staff of UNZA. What good can come out of a poorly funded and disorganised UNZA? Does the government want the new university to be a failed institution like UNZA? Surely it will fail before it even opens its doors.
Government should have given the running of this university to Prof Mwansa and his group at the Zambian Open University they have done so well with the long distance education. Besides, they are one of the most experienced in terms of education and training in the country. At least then government wouldn’t have to worry about funding the university but will only have to give busaries to deserving students. That is how education is ran
Comment:i want to be there